Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with me
Speaker 1: Tracy Moore. I was a casting director for film and
Speaker 1: TV and commercials for over thirty years. I transition to
Speaker 1: a celebrity acting coach after I cast a film New
Speaker 1: Jersey Drive with executive producers Spike Lee and director Nick Thomas.
Speaker 1: I audition every rapper from Biggie's Balls to Tupac, and
Speaker 1: I realized that rappers and musical artists they needed help
Speaker 1: transitioning to acting. My clients consist of musical artists from
Speaker 1: Buster Rhymes to Eve, Missy Elliott, Angela Ye from The
Speaker 1: Breakfast Club, and Vanessa Simmons, to name a few. I
Speaker 1: also coach sports stars and host as well. I feel
Speaker 1: I have the best of both worlds. As a casting director,
Speaker 1: I know exactly what they're looking for, and as an
Speaker 1: acting coach, I can coach you to be remembered in
Speaker 1: that room. Now I know, I know actors want to
Speaker 1: get the job. I get that, but being remembered by
Speaker 1: casting director that is powerful. And now it's time for
Speaker 1: meditation of the day. The worst enemy to creativity is
Speaker 1: self doubt. Sylvia Flat, Why do we let other people
Speaker 1: burst our bubble or make us dout ourselves. Why is
Speaker 1: it that we can be in a classroom of twenty
Speaker 1: students and everyone loves our performance, and there's that one
Speaker 1: person that just did not engage and we leave with
Speaker 1: that one before that, that one person in that one
Speaker 1: criticism instead of nineteen other students chick camping you. We
Speaker 1: have to silence the noise and the noises questions from
Speaker 1: your family and friends. When are you going to make
Speaker 1: it get a real job. There aren't enough rolls out
Speaker 1: there for people of color. Whatever the noises, shut it off,
Speaker 1: shut it down, shut it out of your life, because
Speaker 1: that is what is preventing you from moving forward, for
Speaker 1: continuing to pursue your career with passion and drive and enthusiasm.
Speaker 1: Don't let anybody deter your journey. Don't let anybody um
Speaker 1: take away your light. Never never dim your light for anyone.
Speaker 1: Your light is your light, and let it shine, let
Speaker 1: it breathe, go inside inside of you. Take fifteen minutes
Speaker 1: every morning, every night to just breathe in. Give it
Speaker 1: to yourself, self love, self encouragement. My biggest cheerleader is me.
Speaker 1: I know how to coach Tracy and go Tracy with
Speaker 1: a fractured elbow and some outh ritis. I know how
Speaker 1: to get Tracy going and get her out of there today.
Speaker 1: I will trust myself and my intuition. Before we get started.
Speaker 1: I'd like to remind everyone to look out for my
Speaker 1: new show, Inside the Black Box. I'll be co hosting
Speaker 1: with the great Joe Morton. Will be on Crackle Network
Speaker 1: real soon. I'll keep you posted. Welcome to the Spirited
Speaker 1: Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore, and you guys are
Speaker 1: in for a treat. We have so many blessings on
Speaker 1: this show. We have so many phenomenal people that I
Speaker 1: feel blessed that continue to be in my life and
Speaker 1: I remember from the embryal days. So I want you
Speaker 1: guys to stand up. I want you to put your
Speaker 1: hands together. You guys gonna get really excited for Director
Speaker 1: Producer extraordinaire Malcolm D Lee. Malcolm, Oh my god, this
Speaker 1: is so exciting to have you on the show today.
Speaker 1: Thank you. Uh. First of all, I don't even know
Speaker 1: where to begin, Malcolm, because I have so many questions,
Speaker 1: but for our audience, which is pretty much aspiring working actors. UM,
Speaker 1: let's just start from the beginning. Where did you start?
Speaker 1: What was your inspiration? Did you know you wanted to
Speaker 1: be a director, producer. What was your journey like, well,
Speaker 1: you know, it's it's it's it's it's fitting that I'm
Speaker 1: on the spirit actor because I wanted to be an
Speaker 1: actor first. Yeah. Yeah, you can still do it well maybe,
Speaker 1: but you know, I, I, uh, from a very early
Speaker 1: age was interested in the in the final performing arts.
Speaker 1: And I used to you know, do plays. I used
Speaker 1: to do um. You know, I I got exposure early
Speaker 1: to video making and animation um at uh tower was
Speaker 1: in sixth grade, and um, you know, UH always just
Speaker 1: kind of had a love for for creating. I used
Speaker 1: to like to draw, I used to write, um and so,
Speaker 1: and you know I played with action figures and you know,
Speaker 1: create little scenarios and things and voices and whatnot. So
Speaker 1: you know that was you know, kind of the very
Speaker 1: organic start, you know, you know, just kind of like
Speaker 1: playing and and and and and and and liking to
Speaker 1: be in a form of arts. And then I remember
Speaker 1: very distinctly, you know, watching entertainment tonight and there was
Speaker 1: an audition for something. I don't know what it was for,
Speaker 1: but I remember the camera pan down, there's low line
Speaker 1: of people auditioning, and it was endless. It was an
Speaker 1: endless line, and I was like, wow, like I'm not that,
Speaker 1: Like there's no way, like I'm gonna like, you know,
Speaker 1: break through. Um. Plus what I was when when I'd
Speaker 1: be acting in high school in college, like you know
Speaker 1: and buy myself like mouthing the words of actors, you know,
Speaker 1: back to them as they're doing their line. So like
Speaker 1: IM like, he can't do that. So you know, um, Ultimately,
Speaker 1: when I got to seeing my cousin Spike in action,
Speaker 1: he was he was he was living in my parents basement, um,
Speaker 1: when he was in film school. So I got an
Speaker 1: opportunity to see and didn't know it at the time,
Speaker 1: the emergence of a world now filmmaker and so you know,
Speaker 1: seeing him do it, you know, him encouraging me to
Speaker 1: like tell my own stories make black film was yeah,
Speaker 1: something that made me. It was it was kind of
Speaker 1: an inspiration to make me say, oh, this is possible
Speaker 1: as a spear and I hadn't thought about it, you know,
Speaker 1: and then like the stuff that I had been doing, um,
Speaker 1: and it was clear to me that I had to
Speaker 1: write something in order to get it director because nobody
Speaker 1: was gonna hand me a script. Was this your short
Speaker 1: film at m y U. Well, I was a number
Speaker 1: of number of films that never got seen, you know
Speaker 1: that that I made, you know, animation. I made an
Speaker 1: animation film in eighth grade. I made a bunch of
Speaker 1: films in twelfth grade. I did some I did. I
Speaker 1: did a summer program and YU where I made you know,
Speaker 1: five short films with six weeks um. And then yeah,
Speaker 1: when I went to n y U M after um
Speaker 1: graduating from Georgetown. Um, I went there and I got
Speaker 1: to do a fellowship with Disney for like a year,
Speaker 1: right and then and then I went to n y
Speaker 1: U and made I mean a couple of shorts, including
Speaker 1: Morningside Prep, which was the kind of the movie that
Speaker 1: I demonstrated to the industry that I could I could
Speaker 1: tell a story, um, you know in short form or
Speaker 1: you know, and filmingally, I just remember Tracy Runs or
Speaker 1: Win some one of them. At the time, they were
Speaker 1: like Malcolm's doing the film. Do you have any actors?
Speaker 1: Recommend some actors, and I just remember like, yeah, you can,
Speaker 1: you know, I know actors so um, but always um,
Speaker 1: even seeing you on set on the Spike sets, just
Speaker 1: always admiring your work. Ethic Um, and just you know,
Speaker 1: sometimes instinctively you can tell when somebody's career is going
Speaker 1: in the direction of what they want and beyond that.
Speaker 1: And I feel like in casting, because we see and
Speaker 1: know people before anyone else knows their names, that we
Speaker 1: have that in us. Just a question, you know, I
Speaker 1: always say to actors that bug never dies. Do you
Speaker 1: think that it might fester up and you might do
Speaker 1: a performance for us? Or is that just dead for you?
Speaker 1: As an actor? You don't want to look at your face?
Speaker 1: You know that, you know what I think? Like, Um,
Speaker 1: it's acting as hard as I'm sure you're you know,
Speaker 1: your your your constituents, your students, you know your your
Speaker 1: audience knows. It's like it's really difficult. Um. It doesn't
Speaker 1: always have to do with with your talents and has
Speaker 1: to do with you know, what the producers and directors
Speaker 1: in the studio is looking for, right, Um, you know
Speaker 1: you could be immensely talent, doesn't doesn't necessarily, you know,
Speaker 1: make a difference. Um. So yeah, I mean acting wise,
Speaker 1: I mean, you know, I'll do a cameo here and there,
Speaker 1: I do I do a little I do a small, small,
Speaker 1: small cameo in in in the series best man. Um,
Speaker 1: um want to do spoiler. I didn't want to do spoiler.
Speaker 1: You know, hopefully people will be so enraptured in the
Speaker 1: in the in the in the in the series that
Speaker 1: you know it won't I won't stand that which I
Speaker 1: which I did, I wanted to avoid anyway, No, I don't.
Speaker 1: I don't. I don't really have a desire. I like,
Speaker 1: I enjoy directing and the actors, you know, like that's
Speaker 1: the that's actually like one of my favorite parts of
Speaker 1: the job is you know, crafting up at helping or
Speaker 1: working collaborating with an actor to craft the performance. You know,
Speaker 1: the language that um, that they need or that I
Speaker 1: need for them to unt hear that will enable me
Speaker 1: to you know, achieve the vision and that I have
Speaker 1: for the for the piece. And so you know, when
Speaker 1: you work with you know, actors that are versatile and directable. Um,
Speaker 1: that's all you can really ask for, right, Like that's
Speaker 1: the main thing if you want when you get a
Speaker 1: talented person, it's it's like, hey, like, you know, here's
Speaker 1: what I want to get to and this is what
Speaker 1: you know I need you to do. I need to
Speaker 1: you know, you know that was a good take, But
Speaker 1: try it like explore and so I enjoyed that process.
Speaker 1: You're one of my favorite actors for three reasons. One,
Speaker 1: I think that as a I think you're brilliant as
Speaker 1: a director to be able to direct individual brilliant talent talent,
Speaker 1: but as an ensemble, I think that is one of
Speaker 1: my favorite things about you. That is really consistent in
Speaker 1: your comedy UM Girls Trip, you have four outstanding actresses
Speaker 1: and you have to me the ability to bring that
Speaker 1: together where we're all on the same plane field, but
Speaker 1: you still know those talents right. And then the other
Speaker 1: thing is is because you I didn't know you wanted
Speaker 1: to be an actor, but now and knowing that out,
Speaker 1: I understand how the language because um directors who have
Speaker 1: that experience of acting speak differently to actors, and you
Speaker 1: also give them that space to breathe and create um.
Speaker 1: And then three, you are just I mean, you are
Speaker 1: so funny. I and I haven't been on a set
Speaker 1: with you, but I feel like you have to be
Speaker 1: funny to be able to direct the projects. You have
Speaker 1: to have a sense of humor to be able to
Speaker 1: direct the projects that you have, and that's why you're
Speaker 1: one of my favorite directors and you also make feel
Speaker 1: good movies because I can tell you this with Girl
Speaker 1: with Girls trip every time, like if I have like
Speaker 1: a heb GB moment, I know the scene to go
Speaker 1: to and that scene makes my whole day. What scene
Speaker 1: is that? It's the scene when Tiffany breaks that that
Speaker 1: that um champagne bottle if she is. It's just you
Speaker 1: have a way to authent authentically create those moments, but
Speaker 1: they're not contrived and in a lot of physical you
Speaker 1: could see that. Yeah, I mean, you know, thank you
Speaker 1: for saying, um all you said. I mean, like I said,
Speaker 1: I I enjoy working with actors. I love to laugh, um,
Speaker 1: you know, I love to find you know, the funny
Speaker 1: and a scene uh and and unearthed that you know,
Speaker 1: like yeah, I mean it's it's it's a it's a
Speaker 1: it's a good process and and you know it's not
Speaker 1: it's not easy, um, but when you're on the same
Speaker 1: page with your with your talent, it becomes easier. And
Speaker 1: I think you know, for me, it's like funny is
Speaker 1: one thing, right, but you can laughs. I want laughs
Speaker 1: to be meaningful, right, I want your emotions to be
Speaker 1: meaningful like and that all starts with character. M Um.
Speaker 1: If you're invested in these characters and relationships, the laugh
Speaker 1: will be greater. Um. You know, you can do sight gags,
Speaker 1: you can do set pieces and whatnot, but you really
Speaker 1: have to feel for Ryan uh a been uh uh,
Speaker 1: Sasha and Lisa in order to really, like, you know,
Speaker 1: enjoy that movie to the fullest. And you know, you
Speaker 1: can enjoy it, be fine or whatever, but like, if
Speaker 1: you care about these women and their relationships, you know
Speaker 1: that that's that's that's what you want. You know, you
Speaker 1: get you get. You gotta get people invested in in um,
Speaker 1: you know, the journey that that you're about to take
Speaker 1: them take them on. Like, you know, we look at
Speaker 1: movie like like soul Man. I don't a lot of
Speaker 1: people have seen it, but like, you know, one of
Speaker 1: the scenes that we shot in there, this is what
Speaker 1: Bernie Mackins said, Well, Jackson, you know, like the first shot,
Speaker 1: the first time that they reunite. There's a critical scene
Speaker 1: to the movie. Right If if that scene fails or
Speaker 1: if they don't, the audiences got the best in that scene,
Speaker 1: the rest of the movie doesn't matter. So that's why
Speaker 1: we rehearse to really really a lot. Um try to
Speaker 1: make sure that you know, we got. It was really
Speaker 1: it's really a three part scene. Um. And you know
Speaker 1: it's like, you know, Floyd goes to to to get
Speaker 1: to get Louis like cz broken nowz he punches them out.
Speaker 1: It's like, you know, what are you doing? Godadda like
Speaker 1: I got, I got this pitch for you. You gotta
Speaker 1: get out of here, and you know, and then it's like, oh,
Speaker 1: what money and we're gonna get paid, We're gonna tour
Speaker 1: again and blah blah blah. And then's about convincing him
Speaker 1: to go. So it was a it's a lengthy scene,
Speaker 1: a three part scene, but it's the it's the crux
Speaker 1: of the movie. You know, I don't care about them,
Speaker 1: You're gonna care about um. Um. Now I want to
Speaker 1: talk about the Best Man because, um, I don't know
Speaker 1: if you know this, but I coach Monica Calhoun in
Speaker 1: the first one. Yeah, a Monica called me up. You
Speaker 1: guys were um like on in the sixties at uh
Speaker 1: there was a hotel over there near Central Park where
Speaker 1: everybody was saying um. But the funny thing about that
Speaker 1: experience is that all the other cast members they would
Speaker 1: come and hang out in Monica's room and then when
Speaker 1: Terence would come, everybody would be like, Okay, we gotta go,
Speaker 1: and he was like, well, what do you guys having
Speaker 1: a party? What's going on? And it wasn't until later
Speaker 1: that Monica told me like they were actually creating that
Speaker 1: tension of separating him from the group as a part
Speaker 1: of the film, which was you know, it was it
Speaker 1: was great, but um, The Best Man has created an
Speaker 1: amazing like you're embedded in the entertainment industry in terms
Speaker 1: of this film, this franchise for you, what has been
Speaker 1: the journey? And also I feel like in terms of generations,
Speaker 1: I was here for Best Man to my daughter was
Speaker 1: here and then now my son. You know, so it's
Speaker 1: like you've been able to tap into all of the
Speaker 1: generations and be consistent with that. How do you how
Speaker 1: how do you connect that? How does that happen? Well?
Speaker 1: I think the first thing is being true to the
Speaker 1: characters and you know, the story we're trying to tell.
Speaker 1: I mean, you know, I think like that that's where
Speaker 1: I always start with this character, and um, you know
Speaker 1: the life occurs to these characters. You know what I'm saying, Like,
Speaker 1: you know, like doing a wedding movie was the mill
Speaker 1: you that wanted to surround you know, this is the
Speaker 1: first movie with it was like, but it was also
Speaker 1: fraught with tension because of this, you know, the story
Speaker 1: and this book that there that that Harper wrote, and
Speaker 1: was also tension between you know, Harper and Jordans and like,
Speaker 1: you know, are they ever gonna like you know, fulfill
Speaker 1: their destiny so to speak? And so you know, it
Speaker 1: talks a lot. I really want to tell a storry
Speaker 1: about friendship and and particularly men in friendship. And then
Speaker 1: you know, the second movie stay consistent to that, the
Speaker 1: friendship and faith. Um, and that was there was resistance
Speaker 1: you know on the part of the studio to make
Speaker 1: the next one. Not because they didn't didn't think that
Speaker 1: the movie was good, but they just very reluctant to
Speaker 1: do a funeral, you know, because different. And I'm like, well, yeah,
Speaker 1: that's what you know, I want to do. I want
Speaker 1: to grow as a filmmaker. I want that the actors
Speaker 1: wanted to play different emotions, so let's do that. Like,
Speaker 1: let's let's talk about who the characters are again. This
Speaker 1: is a reflection of life, so let's do that. Um.
Speaker 1: And the same thing you know with with with this
Speaker 1: Man final chapters where we're you know, dealing with midlife metamorphoses.
Speaker 1: You know, you know, what what are we gonna do
Speaker 1: with the back nine of our lives? What are we
Speaker 1: going to how are we going to um? You know, function?
Speaker 1: How are we going to get along? Are we? Are
Speaker 1: we evolving at the same rate as our as our mate,
Speaker 1: as our spouse, as our friends. You know, when do
Speaker 1: we say like, I don't want to do that anymore?
Speaker 1: When do I say, oh, I want to continue doing
Speaker 1: that and I want you with me, or maybe I
Speaker 1: want to change that thing parenting my parents, I'm parenting
Speaker 1: my children again. It all comes down to the character
Speaker 1: and you know, try to be as true a reflection
Speaker 1: of life as possible. Right. So one of the things
Speaker 1: that UM in coaching and teaching that I stress. And
Speaker 1: we're living in this zoom era right now, which is
Speaker 1: so challenging for casting. For me, I grew up in
Speaker 1: live auditions, so UM, but we manage and do what
Speaker 1: we need to do in terms of the work of
Speaker 1: these actors today and UM you going through zoom um
Speaker 1: you know, submissions. What is it that you feel like
Speaker 1: today's actors are lacking? I don't know, they're necessarily lacking anything,
Speaker 1: you know. Um, like you said, it's it's so much
Speaker 1: better to get the performance you know, in the room.
Speaker 1: And it's funny though as a director and as you know,
Speaker 1: and I cast directors to on with this also, it's
Speaker 1: like like, oh my god, I really love that person,
Speaker 1: right okay, And they say say, well, look at them
Speaker 1: on the screen and then you look on the screen
Speaker 1: like you know, oh not as good. Oh and and
Speaker 1: that's and that's that's it's tricky, you know, you when
Speaker 1: you when you you have because that's what they have
Speaker 1: to be able to hold the screen you know, um,
Speaker 1: and that's not always easy in the moment, but like
Speaker 1: do you can you hold the screen too, And that's
Speaker 1: something you again you learn, Like I tend to like
Speaker 1: look at the actors you know, and try to give
Speaker 1: them respects right in the room and like they prepared
Speaker 1: something and even if I don't love it the first time,
Speaker 1: let me give them a different direction to go. And
Speaker 1: you know, sometimes actors will take the note and do
Speaker 1: something different with the note, and sometimes they'll do they
Speaker 1: acted the same thing, and like they have to be
Speaker 1: able to be vertical, they have to be able to
Speaker 1: take a direction take a note and change even though
Speaker 1: you've worked on it. Mm hmm. You can't be married
Speaker 1: to the words. Now in television, I've difference some television,
Speaker 1: you know, you know, producers are like, oh, you've gotta
Speaker 1: read the exact words that you know. I get that
Speaker 1: because we working hard on Okay, it has to be
Speaker 1: you know, obese and not facts. It has to be
Speaker 1: you know, uh warm and not like tipping. You know,
Speaker 1: it's like we won't we say words for a reason, right,
Speaker 1: but how do you use those words to get across
Speaker 1: the character? You? Who is the character? Show me the character?
Speaker 1: When when we get the best man and other people
Speaker 1: in mind for a lot of different roles. And that's so.
Speaker 1: But then that's the beautiful thing about casting. You bring
Speaker 1: somebody and you're like, oh, okay, Like I'll give you
Speaker 1: an example, Like some Lathan wasn't on my radar, right,
Speaker 1: and it's like, right, she wasn't like, wasn't known that
Speaker 1: part at that point? Right, I'd heard things, right, I
Speaker 1: saw I saw a picture of her and and buy
Speaker 1: magazine and and somebody said, hey, you know he feel
Speaker 1: to this woman, I'm like, all right, cool. And she
Speaker 1: came in and she read for Robin, and I was like,
Speaker 1: she's the bar. She's the bar. Anyone that's coming in
Speaker 1: has to be better than her. Wow. And again not
Speaker 1: on my radar at all. So that's so like you know,
Speaker 1: you asked, what, like what it's hard, right, like being
Speaker 1: in a room and seeing on zoom and like you know,
Speaker 1: being able to give the direction. It's tough. Yeah, tough thing.
Speaker 1: But I don't even I don't. I can't. I can't
Speaker 1: say that that that I'm finding the people are oh
Speaker 1: there miss that you find a new town all the time, right,
Speaker 1: like that that it's surprising and and undeniable, like like
Speaker 1: you know, a couple of years ago, I met Brecia
Speaker 1: Webb and she's great and then as she read and
Speaker 1: I was like, oh my god, this woman is a star. Yeah.
Speaker 1: So it's like there's there's just like the people have
Speaker 1: just surprise you. Yeah, And that's why that's what I
Speaker 1: feel like. I mean, I started casting in the mid
Speaker 1: eighties and I was at you know, MTV v H one,
Speaker 1: where there were no people of color, and so what
Speaker 1: I did and took it upon myself and have been
Speaker 1: advocating for people of color from day one because I
Speaker 1: feel like you guys want choices, and so that's my
Speaker 1: job to bring you choices. The thing in which I
Speaker 1: was referencing to in terms of actors today in my
Speaker 1: coaching and my teaching is that one of the things
Speaker 1: that I think is crazy, and especially with my celebrity clients,
Speaker 1: they don't read the action. So my process when I
Speaker 1: work with people is I say to read it three times.
Speaker 1: Of course I want you to read more. But the
Speaker 1: first time you read it just like a regular civilian,
Speaker 1: no highlighters. What's going on right? Second time, what's my
Speaker 1: relationship between the character or characters? And then the third
Speaker 1: time I should have enough information from the size to
Speaker 1: be able to make choices right. But when I read
Speaker 1: with actors, I say I read everything, including the character. Right.
Speaker 1: They jump on my lines, my action, they jump on it,
Speaker 1: and I say, the action is there for a reason
Speaker 1: because it will tell you how to react. It will
Speaker 1: tell you how to say your lines, you know. So
Speaker 1: that's a huge thing that I am running into with actors.
Speaker 1: Um and then because of COVID, they're not getting the
Speaker 1: takes that we used to get back in the day.
Speaker 1: So instead of coming to the set warmed up, you
Speaker 1: gotta come volcanic eruption, you know, because no, it's funny
Speaker 1: that you say that, Like I it Robert Town Them
Speaker 1: directed a couple of episodes of The Best Charles Stone, Yes,
Speaker 1: and Robert you know it has that approach, you know,
Speaker 1: when it comes to rehearsing a scene. Okay, let's just
Speaker 1: read right, and the script supervisor read the action, you know,
Speaker 1: and and and and you know that was that was
Speaker 1: a perspective that I hadn't had because I just I
Speaker 1: assume my actors, you know, hey, this is what we're doing.
Speaker 1: You read you you had the side, you have breakfast,
Speaker 1: let's go you know first. But like you know, when
Speaker 1: you tell them sometimes it's sometimes it's it's good to
Speaker 1: slow down because it's it's it's about the actor, right,
Speaker 1: It's about the cons that were about to see on screens,
Speaker 1: not about the camera moves. And it's not about anything else.
Speaker 1: It's like okay, and and and it's it's action and reaction, right,
Speaker 1: Like so much can be said, So much can be
Speaker 1: said without saying a word, Like there's so much non
Speaker 1: verbal communication that comes across that even the most seasoned
Speaker 1: actor h get. We'll just feel like, hey, I have
Speaker 1: to like like like like I can't stand here like
Speaker 1: and and and and react, Yes you can. You're you're
Speaker 1: saying if you're if you're engaged years and you know
Speaker 1: with then you're you're gonna say so much bye bye
Speaker 1: by not saying any things. And I really find that
Speaker 1: represame for the actors that are really like you know,
Speaker 1: not necessarily even like locked into the line. Even those
Speaker 1: lines are very very dialogs, very important. It's important for
Speaker 1: them to be engaged with the character. Yeah, and that's
Speaker 1: what I feel like. I feel like the narrative grounds
Speaker 1: you as an actor to give you the information that
Speaker 1: you need, and in the dialogue supports that. And if
Speaker 1: you understand what you're saying, you have you can say
Speaker 1: a thousand different ways and it still means that one
Speaker 1: thing that you need. This interview has flown by. We
Speaker 1: have three minutes, and I would love for you whatever
Speaker 1: tips feedback. You've dropped some amazing jewels that you want
Speaker 1: to give to these actors. Well as we're all supporting you.
Speaker 1: I think you know well the actors just just know
Speaker 1: your craft, right, Don't Joe try to appress me with
Speaker 1: anything other than what's your what you're trying to do right.
Speaker 1: You know, I don't I don't mind pleasant trees and
Speaker 1: like you know, yes, let me be coming in the
Speaker 1: room like, hey, how are you doing that plan of
Speaker 1: your work? You know, just coming there dressed like the character,
Speaker 1: embody the character. Show me what you got right, don't
Speaker 1: be afraid to like, you know, change it up, you
Speaker 1: know what I mean, because that's what I'm looking for
Speaker 1: because it is very serious craft. You have to master
Speaker 1: the craft. Go back. It is and and and and
Speaker 1: you know you have to be able to access emotions
Speaker 1: and you know, do what you got me? It is
Speaker 1: It exposes you in a in a very raw way
Speaker 1: sometimes right, and not be afraid to go there. You
Speaker 1: have to be vulnerable. You have to be able to
Speaker 1: access so many things. And I'm not saying that it's easy,
Speaker 1: and I'm not saying you know, we're not asking a lot,
Speaker 1: but it is what's necessary. Mm. Absolutely, Oh my god,
Speaker 1: this was necessary. This was so necessary in our loves today.
Speaker 1: I'm so excited to have you on the show. Um,
Speaker 1: ladies and gentlemen, to sit back, because Malcolm is going
Speaker 1: to stay with us. You are still blessed. Um. We
Speaker 1: have some questions and then we're gonna go right in
Speaker 1: the class and session. So just hold on one minute.
Speaker 1: We'll be back with the Spirited Actor Podcast. Asked with
Speaker 1: me Tracy Moore for questions from the Spirited Actor. Thank
Speaker 1: you so much, Malcolm, amazing sure see. Welcome back to
Speaker 1: the Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore. And we
Speaker 1: are still blessed to have Malcolm d Lee on and
Speaker 1: you guys, all of you, I'm gonna do a pop
Speaker 1: quiz on the Best Man final chapter. Okay, all of
Speaker 1: you are gonna watch it. I don't have to force them.
Speaker 1: We all are so excited. UM. Okay, so these are
Speaker 1: the questions. So Elsa, can you introduce our um two
Speaker 1: actors who have their questions ready? Absolutely? First up, we
Speaker 1: have Miss Julisa Capri, one of our Spirited Actors. O
Speaker 1: geez um hi um. Thank you for all that you do,
Speaker 1: thank you for the strikes that you've made in this business, um,
Speaker 1: and just thank you for bringing these well rounded characters
Speaker 1: to life um on the screen. My question is what
Speaker 1: you see are the gyms that actors are able to
Speaker 1: take from the audition room and able to bring in
Speaker 1: the set, because I know they're two different beasts, right,
Speaker 1: like the things that you may do that work, like
Speaker 1: you know on this small screen for this may not
Speaker 1: work when you're actually in the setting amongst like the
Speaker 1: other characters. So what are those things that you should
Speaker 1: like keep with you and like what are those things
Speaker 1: that you should just let go up? I mean, you know,
Speaker 1: I think it's um case by case, you know, Like
Speaker 1: I've been in situations where like I love what an
Speaker 1: actor did in an audition. I'm like, oh, you know
Speaker 1: what you did in the audition, and I'll reference, I say,
Speaker 1: when when you did in the audition, you know, you
Speaker 1: know in our remind them that up and that was great.
Speaker 1: Like like Melissa the Sosa, you know, like added a line,
Speaker 1: you know, when she was auditioning on best Manner for
Speaker 1: her entrance. She's like, you know, the gangs are all
Speaker 1: back back in effect, you know, gangs all here back
Speaker 1: in effect break out the forties Like that's that was
Speaker 1: and and and add live that she she added, We've
Speaker 1: got to use that. That's hilarious right now. Sometimes whether
Speaker 1: it's audition or it's or it's a take that you do,
Speaker 1: you know, it may not be as funny, it may
Speaker 1: not have the same you know, emotional residents. Um, so
Speaker 1: you have to you cannot rely on stuff that you've done.
Speaker 1: You gotta have another bagag of tricks that you you know,
Speaker 1: that you can come to or that you can access.
Speaker 1: Because there are such things as a set laugh and
Speaker 1: then such things you know, like set emotion, and sometimes
Speaker 1: it's they don't work, you know, for they can't sustain
Speaker 1: the movie. Like you just gotta be prepared, you know,
Speaker 1: and and be able to be open and to take direction.
Speaker 1: You can prepare and you know, be very sure about
Speaker 1: what you what you want to do, but if it's
Speaker 1: not working in the moment um, you have to be
Speaker 1: able to be malleable enough to shift. Thank you, And
Speaker 1: next we have k. Pree ting in from Atlantis. Hi'm Malcolm.
Speaker 1: I've been a fan of your work since Morning Side
Speaker 1: prep there seeing the premiere of Best Man at Urban World,
Speaker 1: and always loved how you created such dimensional female roles
Speaker 1: when your peers were not. And I'm just curious and
Speaker 1: now that the final chapter is allegedly done, what do
Speaker 1: you have next for us actors ready to jump into
Speaker 1: some great roles and and just as viewers, just to
Speaker 1: see ourselves as women fully dimensional beyond the cookie cutter
Speaker 1: that we're still getting way too much of. Yeah, I mean,
Speaker 1: you know, personally right now as a director, I'm not
Speaker 1: I'm not planning on get behind the camera for for
Speaker 1: a little while. But you know, I don't be upset,
Speaker 1: don't be. I am, however, trying to produce. You know,
Speaker 1: we've got a couple of books that we've you know,
Speaker 1: we're we're adapting that. They're both um, female, eccentric. Um.
Speaker 1: You know, we've got a number of things that you know,
Speaker 1: we're we're, we're we're we're tended to make it at Blackmail.
Speaker 1: So you know, UM, I can't I can't speak to
Speaker 1: all of them right now, and you know, I don't
Speaker 1: do any spoilers or whatever. But we've got we've got
Speaker 1: content that we're trying to make and you know they'll
Speaker 1: be there'll be roles to be to be embodied. Awesome,
Speaker 1: look forward Tonate, Thank you a great question, Thank you,
Speaker 1: kay free Um and what we do, um, I can
Speaker 1: forward to Jackie. But we do offer our pictures and
Speaker 1: resumes of our spirited actors who perform and ask questions
Speaker 1: for you as well. UM. Okay, you guys, we're gonna
Speaker 1: move along here. We're gonna do class and session and
Speaker 1: this is where we have our spirited actor alumni do
Speaker 1: a scene and um is this scene written by lean
Speaker 1: A Motto. It is indeed so this is our writer
Speaker 1: and residence, Malcolm. We call her leon A Motto because
Speaker 1: that is her name, but Lean writes the scenes. And
Speaker 1: you know it's it's so much better to license from
Speaker 1: her than someone else. And she is spirited actor. O
Speaker 1: g s. It's eighteen. I'm not gonna tell you how
Speaker 1: she is now, um Elsa, you can introduce the others, okay,
Speaker 1: um So in this scene um written by lean A Motto.
Speaker 1: As we said, we have um Tisia Hickman say hello
Speaker 1: t Sha, and we have Mr Miles Marrable well, and
Speaker 1: Lean will be acting in her scene as well. She's
Speaker 1: a multi hyphenate, yes she is. And I will read
Speaker 1: are you guys ready? Okay? Else is going to be
Speaker 1: reading a narrative and on action Tisha Mutual self, Thank you,
Speaker 1: Led by the Lord, written written by leon A Matta.
Speaker 1: Exterior Street, Sunday morning. Sean is cruising down the street
Speaker 1: real smooth as he spots just the right curves on
Speaker 1: a young lady walking up ahead. He pulls up on her.
Speaker 1: Excuse miss, you can really help me. I'm laws. She hesitates,
Speaker 1: looks and chuckles to herself when she realizes what's really
Speaker 1: going on? Where are you trying to go? Well, I've
Speaker 1: been looking for you. She shakes her head and keeps walking.
Speaker 1: He rides alongside her. He told me how how can
Speaker 1: I join you? Well, I'm going here. She points to
Speaker 1: a building that reads Church of the Latter day Saints
Speaker 1: and Centers Baptist Worships Center God. Hold hold up, hold up,
Speaker 1: let me let me talk. I mean wait, excuse me, man, yes,
Speaker 1: excuse me, excuse me. Oh hallellujah. Did he just never mind?
Speaker 1: She heads to the door or he catches up to her. Hi,
Speaker 1: I'm Sean. Thanks for the invite. Mhmm, you're welcome. Let
Speaker 1: me thanks to meet you. Oh well, you can call
Speaker 1: me Adam baby. She goes in and he follows. She delicately,
Speaker 1: delicately dips her right hand into the holy water to
Speaker 1: bless herself, but he can't see what she's doing, so
Speaker 1: she walks to her seat as he immerses both of
Speaker 1: his hands and cleans his face and grabs the glory
Speaker 1: cloth nearby to dry. Did you have to sit this close. Row,
Speaker 1: I received the word better here. Oh well, if you
Speaker 1: have a problem with receiving, I can help you with that. Excuse.
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm I'm so relieved. You know, I really missed. O.
Speaker 1: G She looks confused. G O D. She just checks out. O. Look,
Speaker 1: I'm just so relieved. Us. I woke up this morning.
Speaker 1: I was praying for a wife, interrupted by the pastor
Speaker 1: walking in. Everyone stands, followed by sean. Oh Lord, I
Speaker 1: couldn't believe it when the neighbors told me he saw
Speaker 1: my call in front of the church. But here you are,
Speaker 1: baby twenties six years. I prayed for the Good Lord
Speaker 1: to bring you into his presence, and he finally brought
Speaker 1: your ass in. Oh, thank you Jesus with the bag.
Speaker 1: I'm tony far before you was even born. Hi, sweetheart,
Speaker 1: how you doing? The Lord? Surely don't answer my prayer?
Speaker 1: Look at you sitting there. Yeah, this boy ain't knowing
Speaker 1: the good and faithful Lord a day in his life.
Speaker 1: Look at him sitting in next to you. Slide open,
Speaker 1: let me sit down. Oh I can't help but rejoice.
Speaker 1: Thank you, hey you, hey, you let me sit down. Mhm.
Speaker 1: Noticed the whole church is silent and watching as the
Speaker 1: pastor gives a look like may I begin, sorry, pastor
Speaker 1: doing the Lord's work, Hallelujah and service begin. See all right,
Speaker 1: all right, actors, I'm gonna throw it to you, Malcolm.
Speaker 1: Whatever you wanna drop on them would be priceless. And
Speaker 1: you're on. Yeah, thank you, m Yeah. I thought it
Speaker 1: was great. You know, I thought everybody seen my the
Speaker 1: own character. Um, you know, like I I think that
Speaker 1: like it was like awareness of of of not just
Speaker 1: the you know, the lines, but also the actions. Um.
Speaker 1: So yeah, I don't, I don't. I don't have anything
Speaker 1: that I would, you know. Yeah, I thought it was
Speaker 1: I thought it was humorous. Um, and it was. It
Speaker 1: was fun. I mean, I know it's a lot of times,
Speaker 1: but you know you're dealing with um, you know, things
Speaker 1: about church and religion too where black people can get
Speaker 1: you know, over the top. But I felt like it
Speaker 1: was it was it was appropriate. Oh but I was great.
Speaker 1: You guys, thank you so much, and everybody please once again, Malcolm,
Speaker 1: I can't thank you enough for stopping by and just
Speaker 1: we are here for best the best Man final chapter.
Speaker 1: We are on Peacock. All of us were spread the
Speaker 1: word and just much much continued success to you. You
Speaker 1: were so deserving and just such a great storytelling. Thank you.
Speaker 1: Thank you. That's all I can say. Thank you. Ladies
Speaker 1: and gentlemen, please put your hands together once again for director, producer,
Speaker 1: writer Malcolm D. Leave. Thank you, and we'll be back
Speaker 1: on the street after podcast with me Tracy Moore and
Speaker 1: I'm going to give you guys some love. I'm gonna
Speaker 1: give you love and now it's time to give love.
Speaker 1: Every day that you wake up, you should wake up
Speaker 1: in gratitude, and you should wake up in holy spirit arrogance.
Speaker 1: For those of you who don't know the term holy
Speaker 1: Spirit arrogance, which is a part of the spirited Actor.
Speaker 1: It's about seeing miracles, experiencing miracles, knowing that whatever your
Speaker 1: religious belief is, you are taken care of, you are protected,
Speaker 1: you are love, you are guided, and in gratitude. Gratitude,
Speaker 1: I always say, is magical. The more grateful you are
Speaker 1: for what you have, the more the universe blesses you
Speaker 1: with more of that. The thing that we should be
Speaker 1: grateful for is our life. We should be grateful for
Speaker 1: the opportunity that we have another day, and we should
Speaker 1: be grateful for the fact that some of us may
Speaker 1: be able to get out of our bed easier than
Speaker 1: others and embrace the day ahead. You should be grateful
Speaker 1: for the fact that you are present, that you don't
Speaker 1: live in the past, and that you don't anst over
Speaker 1: the future. You stay present and creating those future moments.
Speaker 1: You are grateful. You are grateful for your family, your friends,
Speaker 1: your associates. You are grateful for life. Be grateful. Wake
Speaker 1: up too, great fullness and also Holy Spirit, arrogance. Know
Speaker 1: that you are protective and you always have a safety
Speaker 1: net to catch you. Don't forget to look out for us.
Speaker 1: On our new show, Inside the Black Box, my co
Speaker 1: host will be Joe the Legend Morton. It's going to
Speaker 1: be The Spirited Actor Podcast on Steroids. Will be streaming
Speaker 1: on the Crackle network. I'll keep you posted. Thank you
Speaker 1: for joining us on the Spirited Actor Podcast with me
Speaker 1: Tracy Moore. I look forward to our next Spirited podcast.
Speaker 1: Thank you,